Coupler for tool and cable



Feb. 27, 1962 w. E. cAwLl-:Y ETAL 3,023,040

COUPLER FOR TOOL AND CABLE Filed Dec. 3, 1959 United States Patent Utilice 3,823,040 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 3,023,040 CUUPLER FR TL AND CABLE Wiiliarn E. Cawley and Char-ies E. Frantz, Richland,

Wash., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Filed Dee. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,242 2 Claims. (Cl. 287-419) This invention relates to a connection between a tool and a cable for pulling the tool. More particularly, the invention relates to such a connection that will pull the tool without rotating it and enables the cable to be readily disconnected from the tool.

FIGS. 37, 38, and 39 and columns 42, 43, and 44 of Fermi et al. Patent 2,708,656, dated May 17, 1955, discloses a nuclear reactor comprising graphite moderator blocks, internally ribbed coolant tubes extending through the blocks, and jacketed fuel elements of natural uranium laid end to end in the coolant tubes so as to be cooled by water ilowing through the tubes and over the slugs. On occasion, the coolant tubes must be replaced, because they have become damaged by overheating or by growth of the fuel elements. When the damaged coolant tubes are stuck in the moderator, we have found it advantageous to facilitate removal of the tubes splitting them by the tool disclosed and claimed in our copendin-g application Serial No. 857,241, now Patent 2,983,042, tiled on the same day as the present application.

The coupling or connecting device of the present invention enables a cable to pull our tube splitter through a reactor coolant tube without producing rotation of the tool due to untwisting of the cable, while being easily disconnected from the tool when the tool becomes stuck in the tube.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a longitudinal sectional view showing a con necting device of the present invention attached to a tube splitter so that the splitter may be pulled by a cable through a reactor coolant tube; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FiG. l, but showing the connecting device detached from the tube splitter.

Positioned in a reactor coolant tube 18 are a tube split ter 11, a cable 12 for pulling the splitter 11 through the tube 18, and a novel connecting device 13 of the present invention through which the pull on the cable 12 is trans mitted to the tube splitter 11.

The splitter 11 comprises a body 14, and a pair of op posed cutting wheels 15 which are rotatably mounted in the body 14 and weaken the tube 16 by partially cutting through it. The splitter 11 further comp-rises an I-shaped blade 16 which cuts the tube 18 along diametrally opposed axial lines at regions weakened by the cutting wheels 15 and forces the cut portions of the tube 18 inwardly so that the tube is transformed into halves provided with inwardly extending ilanges at longitudinal edges of the halves. The splitter body 14 has longitudinal grooves (not shown) that accommodate internal longitudinal ribs (not shown) on the tube 1li, these grooves and ribs tending to make the splitter 11 move along the tube 18 without rotating. These details are more fully disclosed in our aforementioned copending application Serial No. 857,241, now Patent 2,983,042.

The connecting device 13 comprises a hollow coupler 17, a movable headed member 18, and a bearing 19. The coupler 17 is composed of a tubular section 20 and a plug 21 having a permanent threaded connection with the tubular section 28 and being provided with a reduced threaded extension 22 removably connected with the body 14s. l

The bearing 19 is mounted in the tubular section 2t) and rests against an internal annular shoulder 23 of the tubular section 20. The member 18 extends through the shoulder 23 into the tubular section 2d and has an enlarged head 24 engageable with the bearing 19. The head 24 has a transverse diametral key 25, which, in the position of FIG. 2, tits in a transverse diametral slot 26 in the end of the plug 21 lying within the tubular section 20. It will be noted that the lateral dimensions of the head 24 are greater than the inside lateral dimensions of the annular shoulder 23 but substantially smaller than the inside lateral dimensions of the tubular section 28, thereby providing a substantial free. passage-space between the head and the inside of the tubular section, regardless of the position of the head 24.

The end of the member 1S opposite the head 24 lies outside the tubular section 28 and is recessed to grip the end of the cable 12.

In operation, the splitter 11 is pulled to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 by the cable 12 acting through the connecting device 13. The cutting wheels 15 weaken the tube 10 at diametrally opposed regions so that the l-shape-d blade 16 cuts the tube 18 in halves at these regions and forms internal flanges from the longitudinal edges of the tube halves by turning the edges inwardly. The tube 10 thus transformed into separate halves is readily removed frorn a surrounding mass 27 of graphite moderator.

The bearing 19, which transmits axial thrust from the head 24 of the member 18 to the shoulder 23 of the tubular section 20 when the cable 12 is pulling the split ter 11, permits the cable 12 and its end member 18 to rotate with respect to the coupler 17 and the splitter 11. Thus any tendency of the member 18 to rotate due to untwisting of the cable 12 on being pulled will not be transmitted to the splitter 11. Without a tendency to twist, the grooves (not shown) of the splitter body 14 will not drag on the internal ribs (not shown) of the' coolant tube 10, and the splitter 11 is more easily pulled through the coolant tube 18 while splitting the same.

Il. the splitter 11 becomes stuck in the tube 10, the member 18 may, by an end thrust applied to the cable 12, be shifted from the position of FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2, in which the key 25 on the member 18 lies in the. slot 26 in the plug 21. Now a twisting or rotation of the cable 12 and member 18 will rotate the lug 21 and thereby disconnect it from the splitter body 14. After removal of the cable 12 and connecting device 13 from the coolant tube 18 to the left as viewed in the drawing, the splitter 11 may be pushed out of the tube 1d to the right.

The intention is to limit the invention only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for connecting a cable with Va tool adapted to be pulled through a tube for splitting'the same, a hollow coupler comprising a tubular section having at one end an internalannular shoulder and at the other end a permanent threaded connection, a plug having at one end threads mating with said permanent threaded connection and at the other end of said plug a reduced threaded extension adapted to be removably connected with the tool, a movable member having means at one end for attachment to a cable, and at its other end a projection through the end of the tubular section having the said annular shoulder, the said movable member havingV 9, a end of the tubular member, a bearing held by the anis a slot in the plug and a mating transverse key in the nular shoulder adapted to provide Y'for rotation between head. the movable member and the tubular section while transmttng axial thrust therebetween, and means when the References Cd in the me 0f this Patent said head is in its forward position within the tubular 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS sectionfor transmitting rotational movement by the cable from the head to the plug, thereby causing the reduced Ilmm Sept' 299 1903 amel Aug. 25, 1908 threaded extensron ofthe plug to rotate out of lts threaded l 908 423 Hummm May 9 1933 Cognecn rthftol' 1 wher th f t 10 1321477 Huyeld 'II-oct. 11,I 193s c p e mm e e means 0r fans 2,142,494 Cartwright Jan. 3, 1939 mitting rotational movement from the head to the plug 

